A spoiler-free retrospective podcast and blog about Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Robin and Cordia.

Posted by: thebuffyrewatch | January 16, 2011

Cordia’s Review: S1, E11 – Out of Mind, Out of Sight

Cordia’s Second Look
Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Season 1, Episode 11
Original airing: May 19, 1997

My Rating: 68

The Good: This is a much more solid story than some of the most recent episodes. It centers on human emotion instead of silly costuming. It’s also obvious that the plight of the villain, Marcie Ross, resonates with the main characters, especially Buffy and Cordelia. Buffy used to be popular, but she was lonely and unhappy with a group of vapid acquaintances. Now she has a small circle of friends she’s really close to, although she does miss having the good opinion of her other peers and classmates. Cordelia is about three steps behind Buffy in maturity here. She admits she’s lonely and unhappy as a popular person, but she still holds on to it because it’s what she knows and she doesn’t think there’s any other option for her except to be alone. It’s always been pretty obvious that Cordelia is a representation of all the things Buffy could have if she wasn’t the Slayer. So it’s nice to see that they actually do have things in common.

Not having to have a costume for the villain helped this episode. Prior episodes had interesting ideas, but they are represented by villains that just look silly on the screen (104, 108, 109). An invisible person removed that consideration, provided the actors are capable. Even the floating items were mostly done well since they appeared to have precision and weight behind them.

The Bad: Nothing major. The main thing about this episode is that it was good, but not great. Marcie is a random girl, so while her struggle and pain is understandable, it doesn’t resonate very strongly with me. I know the main characters aren’t in major danger and even Cordelia comes through with just a scratch on her face. The long-term and big stakes aren’t there and that keeps this episode from being great.

Favorite Moment: Angel and Giles meet for the first time in this episode. Giles is cautious and Angel is tortured, but they have a common interest in protecting Buffy. The scene ties into both the season finale and the current episode. The end beat of the scene is a poignant moment where Angel points out being invisible can be a misunderstood gift.

The Bottom Line: This episode has characters acting as humans, which is a strength of the show. Marcie’s insanity from being ignored and turning invisible is completely understandable, as is her fixation on Cordelia as a cause of her misery. Buffy and the gang’s reactions to Marcie’s plight are heartfelt and sincere. And Angel and Giles first meeting in the second to last episode of the season was deftly handled. Good show.